Fracture apparatus.



G. W. BURTON.

PRAGTURE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1914.

Patented D60. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS'SHEBT 1.

Charles W. Burton I'HE NORRIS PEY'ERS 60:. PHOTDVLITHOV, WASHINGTON. v A.

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( rimm 1X01 C. W. BURTON.

FRAUTURB APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9,1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS" SHEET 2.

Charles W.Bu.r1o14 (UNITE @TATE8 ATENT @FFTQE.

CHARLES W. BURTON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF '10 MATHONIHAH THOMAS AND O. P. SOULE, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

FRAC'IURE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 9, 1914. Serial No. 823,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHARLES W. BURTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fracture Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fracture apparatus and particularly to improvements in devices for supporting fractured or injured limbs.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character comprising a rest or sling having means for yieldingly and adjustably suspending the same from a suitable support whereby the injured member may be yieldingly and movably supported at the proper elevation and in a comfortable position and which is particularly designed for supporting a fractured limb while incased in splints or in a plaster of Paris cast.

Another object is to provide a support of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, eflicient in operation and which may be rigged up on and supported above a chair occupied by the patient or which may be hung from an overhead support above a bed or couch.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fracture apparatus showing the same adjustably suspended from an overhead track; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus suspended from a support attached to a chair; Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4: is a detail perspective View of the limb supporting sling or rest of the apparatus; Fig. 5 is a front View of the spring catch for fastening the sling supporting chain in its adjusted positions; Fig. 6 is a central vertical section of the same; Fig. 7 is a central cross sectional view of the overhead supporting track showing the rest for the sling supporting carriage engaged therewith; Fig. 8 is a detail cross section of the carriage taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of the rest or sling shown in Fig. 4. r I

My improved fracture apparatus comprises a sling or rest 1 having a body portion 2 which is preferably formed of canvas or similar fabric but which may be formed of leather or any other flexible mate rial. The side edges of the flexible body 1 are connected in any suitable manner to supporting rods 3 which are spaced suitable distances apart and fastened in spaced relation by spreader bars 4 one of which is arranged adjacent to each end of the sup porting rods as shown. The ends of the spreader bars 4: have formed'thereon hook shaped clips 5 which are adapted to, be sprung into engagement with the rods 3 and may be readily disengaged from the latter when the fractured member is placed in the sling or the sling placed around said member prior to lifting and suspending the same. On the ends of the supporting rods 3 are secured hooks 5 and 6 with which are connected the ends of short sling suspending chains 7 to which are connected the sling supporting mechanism of the apparatus hereinafter described.

The sling supporting apparatus comprises upper and lower pulleys 8 and 9. To the lower end of the upper pulley 8 is connected one end of a supporting and elevating chain 10 which passes downwardly through the lower pulley 9 thence upwardly through the upper pulley 8 from which the free end of the chain 10 extends downwardly and is connected to one end of a spring catch 11 which will be hereinafter described and by means of which the end of the chain is fastened after the latter has been adjusted Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

to support the sling at the desired elevation.

The lower pulley 9 is provided on its lower end with two hooks 12 which are engaged with the short sling suspending chains 7 midway between the ends thereof thereby connecting the sling with the supporting mechanism.

The catch 11 comprises a tubular body portion 13 which is slidably engaged with the stretch of the chain 10 that is connected at its upper end to the pulley 8. On the upper end of the tubular body 13 of the catch is formed an eye 14: to which is connected the outer or free end of the chain.

In the opposite sides of the body 13 near its upper end are formed alined slots 15 with which is adapted to be engaged the nose 16 of a catch lever 17 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a lug 18 formed on one side of the body 13 as shown. The opposite end of the catch lever 17 from the nose 16 is formed at an angle or spaced from the side of the body of the catch and forms the handle end of the lever. Between the handle end of the lever and the adjacent side of the tubular body 13 of the catch is arranged a coil spring 19 the ends of which. are engaged with studs 20 on the casing and inner side of the lever hereby the pressure of the spring is eXerted to project the nose 16 of the lever through the alined slots 15 in the body 13 of the catch and through one of the links .of the stretch of chain with which said body is slidably engaged. The engagement of the nose 16 with the slots 15 and with the links of the chain forms an adjustable connection for the free end of the chain and permits the latter to belengthened or shortened to support the sling or rest 2 at the desired elevation as will be readily understood.

The sling 2 and supporting chains thereof when arranged as herein shown and described may be attached to any suitable support and in Fig. 1 of the drawings these parts are shown as being suspended from a carriage 21 which is adapted to travel in a suitably supported overhead track 22. In the present instance the supporting chain and sling are connected with the carriage 21 by a coil spring 23, the lower end of which is provided with a hook 24: which is engaged with an eye in the pulley 8. The spring 23 at its upper end is connected with a hook 25 which has a ball bearing connection with a roller shaft 26 on the ends of which are mounted supporting rollers 27. The upper end of the hook is bent to form a large circular eye 28 which surrounds the central portion of the roller shaft 2'? around which and between the same and the inner surface of the eye 28 is arranged an annular series of bearing balls 29, whereby an antifrictional connection is provided between the hook and said roller shaft. On the shaft adjacent to the opposite sides of the eye 28 are arranged circular stop plates or washers 30 which hold the bearing balls 29 in position in the eye of the hook. The track 22in which the carriage is supported comprises a rectangular tubular casing in the lower side of which is formed a central longitudinally extending slot 31 through which the hook 25 projects. The edges of the slot 31 are turned upwardly and form stop flanges 32 between which and the sides of the casing the rollers 27 travel on the bottom of the casing as clearly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. By thus supporting the sling or rest 2 it will be seen that the latter may be readily shifted to any desired position along the track and will be yieldingly supported by the spring 23 from the carriage in the track.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings the sling or rest 2 and the supporting chain 10 thereof are shown as being connected with a crane or supporting member 33 in the form of an angular bar of sufficient strength having its angularly projecting members connected by a suitable brace 3% as shown. The depending member of the crane or supporting bar is adapted to be adjustably secured to the back of a chair by means of suitable clips 35 with which said dependin member of the chair is slidably engaged and which are provided with set screws 35', whereby the crane may be adjusted on the chair. When thus arranged the upper portion of the crane or bar 33 projects over or above the chair and has adjustably secured to its outer end a sleeve 36 having a hook 37 which is adapted to be engaged with the eye 24: in the upper pulley 8 of the supporting chain thereby adjustably holding the sling at the desired elevation for supporting any of the limbs of the patient occupying the chair.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings is shown a slightly modified form of sling or rest 38 comprising a body portion 39 formed of canvas or other flexible material and having its side edges connected and fastened with supporting bars 40 each of which in this instance is formed in sections hingedly connected midway their ends to permit the rods to be arranged at a slight angle as shown. The rods d0 are connected near their ends and at a point intermediate their ends by spreader bars 41 which are constructed and are adapted to be detachahly engaged with the supporting rods 40 in the same manner as the spreader rods i described in connection with the sling 2. The supporting rods 40 when formed in sections and jointed or hingedly connected as herein shown and described, may be arranged at angles and the opposite ends of the body of the sling thus held in different positions as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings for comfortably supporting the limb suspended therein.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim is:

1. A fracture apparatus comprising an overhead support, a sling, flexible supporting means for the latter, a flexible connection between the overhead support and said sling supporting means, said connection including a plurality of interconnected links, a tubular member operatively connected with and encompassing said flexible connection, said member having therein oppositely disposed registering openings, a spring actuated dog pivotally connected with said tubular member, a head carried by said dog to project through the openings, in said tubular member and through the links of said flexible connection whereby to maintain the latter in adjusted position.

2. In a fracture apparatus, the combination with a sling of a supporting mechanism comprising flexible suspending elements connected with the sling, a lower pulley connected with said suspending elements, an overhead support, an upper pulley connected thereto, a flexible supporting element connected at one end to said upper pulley and extending downwardly through said lower pulley, thence upwardly through the upper pulley, a catch comprising a tubular body secured to the free end of said flexible supporting element and slidably engaged with that portion of the latter which is fastened to said upper pulley, said tubular body having in its opposite sides alined slots, a catch lever pivoted on said tubular body and having on one end a nose adapted to project through said slots and into engagement wlth said flexible supporting element whereby the free end of the latter is adjustably fastened thereto and a spring engaged with said lever to project and yieldingly hold the nose thereof in operative engagement with the slots in the bodv of the catch and with said supporting element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. BURTON. Witnesses O. P. SoULE, E. M. WALTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

